TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Earthquake damage to Hualien’s National Dong Hwa University (NDHU) could be as high as NT$1.92 billion (US$60 million), far surpassing an initial estimate of NT$500 million, reported CNA.

The Education and Culture Committee of the Legislative Yuan invited the Ministry of Education (MOE) on Wednesday (April 10) to make a report on the Hualien earthquake that struck Taiwan on April 3.

Legislator Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜), an NDHU alumni, expressed deep concern for her alma mater and hoped the MOE would provide reconstruction funds. Legislator Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) called for a special budget allocation from the Cabinet to avoid squeezing the education budget.

In response, MOE Deputy Minister Lin Ming-yu (林明裕) said according to past budget allocation methods, the Public Construction Commission would handle subsidies for schools that suffered from disaster damage.

Lin also said the initial damage estimate for NDHU was NT$500 million, but the latest assessment was NT$1.92 billion. “The MOE will conduct on-site inspections at NDHU this afternoon to make a more precise assessment,” he said.

The magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck Taiwan caused a fire to break out at the school’s Building D laboratory, per CNA. The quake severely affected the Department of Chemistry and damaged several experiments and laboratory equipment.

NDHU in a statement on Tuesday (April 10) said it plans to rebuild Building D in a nearby vacant lot and expects construction to be completed by September next year.